Cruel, Cruel Respite
by NobleShikagami
Summary: Percy must cope with having lost Annabeth during the 2nd war. Unfortunately a misunderstanding now causes him anguish at the hands of an unwilling Artemis. Pertemis FTW, probably Guardian of the hunt stuff. My first fanfic so reviews are appreciated
1. Chapter 1: Bitter Victory

(Percy)

All around me was Chaos. Even with my ADHD I could barely keep up with all that was going on. The damn explosions and loud impacts constantly going on were not helping! I ducked down, dodging a vicious sweep to my head. Ephialtes were no joke. Otis was easier to defeat, not that it was a cakewalk. Even with dad helping me I was barely keeping up, both of us visibly injured. Of course, Ephialtes wasn't lily fresh himself. His missing arm was lying next to the indentation where his Redneck twin fell, courtesy of yours truly. Personally I felt he looked better that way. I lunged forward with Riptide, nicking the Giant's legs, while dad thrust his trident at his face.

"YOU WILL DIE PAINFULLY SEA SCUM!" Ephialtes roared as he countered the thrust with his spear, and attempted to step on me. I managed to roll out of the way, but suddenly Dad yelled out in pain. A golden line appeared on his face, causing him to reel back as Ichor spurted from his eye.

"FATHER!" I yelled. A wave of anger surged through me and I stabbed Riptide as deep as I could into the giant's calf, snapping the blade at the hilt. The Giant roared and lost balance. He fell forward, towards my dad who simply stuck his trident out and impaled Ephialtes throat. I tried not to gag when he became a golden sprinkled, painting my Dad's face gold.

"I hope your mouth was closed." I laughed, panting intermittently. That was one harrowing fight. My hands were shaking as I looked at what remained of Riptide. Dad wiped his face and threw some of the Ichor at me while getting up. "AUUUGHH! DAD!" I complained, trying to shake the nastiness off me. Even while injured, my dad managed to chuckle before looking me in the eyes. His left eye was wounded, but his right eye remained as piercing as ever. "Do not let yourself be overwhelmed son" he said firmly, "Not on the battlefield." I nodded and breathed deeply to calm myself. I wiped off what I could before quickly looking around to examine the situations. All the giants had been slain, with the exception of Porphyrion. I could see Annabeth and Athena had just slain Enceladus, the giant collapsing before turning to dust. "Go Percy." My father said, as if having read my mind. I looked back with a quick smile before I ran towards them.

"You okay Annabeth?" I asked before realizing it was a stupid question. She had numerous cuts and was panting like a dog. Still, she had energy to glare at me. I couldn't help but smile and hug her.

"Owowowow!" she winced "Im injured, Kelp head!" I retracted, "Oh shit sorry sorry!" She rolled her eyes but a smile had crept onto her face. Athena cleared her throat, "I don't think it wise to be celebrating yet." Annabeth brushed off some of the Ichor still on me, "Yeah. There is still Porphyri-" Another bone-rattling explosion drew my attention. With his head blown off, Porphyrion crumbled to pieces. Zeus' master bolt crackled from the discharge and dissipated. I could make out Jason hovering next to him.

A wave of relief washed over me as I realized it was over, and Gaia wasn't raised. "You were saying Wise Girl?" I smirked and got a punch in the arm for it. "OW!"

"Ass" she growled in annoyance. I smiled, "I'm just saying, it's over. World's saved."

Suddenly the ground shook and threw all of us off our feet. A fissure formed underneath me and I fell through "PERCY!" Annabeth yelled as she lunged to catch me. "YOU JUST HAD TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" Annabeth yelled at me over the havoc. "NOT NOW! JUST PULL ME UP!" I was hanging purely by her grip on my wrists. "WHAT. DOES. IT. LOOK. LIKE. I'M. DOING!!" Annabeth groaned as she strained to pull me up. The stream of insults she was saying as she did would have been hurtful in any other situation.

I scrambled up to her side of the fissure, and immediately saw a huge black spire had emerged from where Porphyrion was reduced to rubble. The spire grew to be more than double the size of Porphyrion. It suddenly became eerily quiet. "Please no please no please not what I think it is" I begged. The silence was pierced by a raspy woman's that seemed to speak directly into our minds. "My precious children… have been slaughtered…" the ground shook with each syllable. "I will claim this world… and return the favour… A thousand fold…" the voice dripping with venom, enough to make my hair stand.

The Gods and other heros were surrounding the Spire, readying for combat. "DO NOT WAIVER" Zeus bellowed at the rest, "WE STAND TOGETHER, SHE WILL TAKE NOTHING" I couldn't help but be impressed by Zeus' unexpected leader talk. "C'mon seaweed brain" Annabeth grabbed my hand to pull me up. Her scowling face was covered in dust. Yet I could make out her lips were quivering, betraying her furious demeanor. I was terrified too. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek "Don't worry. I've got your back." I assured her. "It's not that!" she yelled before her face softened "You almost died… again..." she shakily said with tears forming. Despite the situation, I pulled her in for a hug and whispered to her "I better not, cause I worked my ass off for a ring with your name on it." Her eyes widened at the realization "We'll make it out of this." I told her before grabbing her hand and running towards the others.

Suddenly, spire exploded and a cataclysmic shockwave threw me back. I was getting real sick of this 'Fus Roh Dah' shit. My ears were ringing and there was a lot of dust from the blast, making it hard to see. As I got to my feet I tried to look for Annabeth

"ANNABETH!" I called out, unable to hear my own voice due to the ringing. I strained to see through the dust-fog, calling her name again. Suddenly the dust cloud was blown away. I turned to see a towering woman, taller than any of the giants. She was made of black dirt and had trees growing out of her back. I knew instantly that was Gaia. She let out a roar that shook the earth, but I couldn't actually hear it. "Crap. I think Im deaf." I thought to myself. The other gods and heroes started to engage her. Zeus bombarding her with bolts, Hades sending black energy blasts, Artemis assaulting her with explosive arrows, etc.

"ANNABETH WE GOTTA GO HELP-" I turned to look for Annabeth and my heart stopped. The ground where she was was red. There was a trail of red with patched of Earth kicked up. "A..annabeth?" I called out shakily. My eyes followed the path of red, completely forgetting the battle behind me. I walked alongside it, till I found it. A huge boulder from the spire was splattered with blood. Sticking out from under it, was Annabeth with everything below her torso gone.

"No.." I collapsed to my knees and shakily reached out to touch her. She was just barely alive, blood spurting from her mouth. "No..nonoNONONONO" I yelled, holding her head. She was talking to me but I couldn't hear her. I COULDN'T HEAR HER. "APOLLO!" I yelled out, but they were using all they had to combat Gaia. They couldn't hear me. I felt Annabeth tug on my clothes, I turned to her.

"DON'T GIVE UP. YOU'RE NOT DYING. YOU-" my voice cracked. My tears were washing away some of the blood on her. She looked me in the eyes and mouthed some words.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU ANNA-" She then went limp.

"Ann..annabeth?" I shook her. There was no response. "No… no..annabeth...please..." I shook her harder but to no avail. I hugged her tightly, kissing her, trying to bring her back. Nothing. I felt.. cold... numb. I looked around. The gods were in a bad shape, with Gaia knocking Zeus out of the sky with her hand, and my father using his powers to erode away her legs with a high powered water blast. All it did was slow her down. My friends were struggling to help their parents take down Gaia. I didn't care. Annabeth… I looked at her cold body and hugged it tightly. Then, I let everything loose.

(Artemis)

The battle was not boding well. Father has been heavily injured, and Ares was buried under a pile of rubble. The Heroes were trying their best but none of them had enough power to damage her enough. Not even that Perseus J- wait. He was not here, had he run away? I looked at the heroes and noticed Athena's daughter was missing as well. I felt my blood boil at their cowardice, I never expected th- no.. Perseus was still a male, I shouldn't be surprised.

I let loose a trio of explosive arrows at Gaia's eye, the explosion staggering her. With unexpected speed, she quickly retaliated, knocking me back. Pain laced my arms as I got back up. I suddenly felt very weak. I looked before me to find my bow had been snapped from the blow. I had just lost my divine symbol. I grimaced and drew my hunting blades. "I swear on the river styx.If we survive this, I will make your life hell, Perseus Jackson. " I snarled, barely noticing the thunder rumbling above. But just as I was about to dash forward, a blood curling scream filled the air. All of us, even Gaia, froze.

Turning to look, I saw the coward Perseus in the distance. His screams of agony grew louder and more deranged, I felt sadness just from hearing the scream. Then, I saw why. The half torn body of Athena's daughter was in his arms. I could hear Athena breaking down as well. He was walking towards us, cradling her and letting out such harrowing cries that I had to cover my ears to prevent from crying myself.

"The first of your children has perished, you will all soon follow" Gaia laughed, enjoying the boy's misery. As I readied myself for the attack, I knew that this would be my last fight. All of a sudden, Gaia stepped backwards "No… wh.." she muttered. I turned and felt my blades fall away from my hands. Perseus Jackson was floating in mid air and engulfed in a weird red aura. His usual green eyes were now glowing white. Yet he was still cradling his fallen love's body.

"PRIMORDIAL GAIA" Perseus spoke. But it was not his usual voice. It was layered with multiple powerful voices that seemed to make the world shake as it spoke. My very soul trembled. "YOU HAVE DESECRATED THIS WORLD FOR THE LAST TIME" Gaia looked terrified and furious at the same time "You should not be here!" she yelled back, shaking the ground. She swung her fist at the boy, Poseidon screaming "No!" in a feeble attempt to stop it. The fist made contact. Not with Perseus, but a barrier that sparked white upon impact.

"BY THE WILL OF CHAOS YOU WILL BE STRIPPED OF YOUR DOMAINS AND TITLES." Perseus continued. "No! I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY RIGHT" Gaia roared, slamming another fist to no effect. "YOU ARE HERE BY RECLAIMED BY THE VOID WHERE YOU WILL FACE JUDGEMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES."

A black portal appeared from underneath Gaia and tendrils shot out, wrapping around her and dragging her in "NO YOU WILL NOT DO THIS TO ME. I AM GAIA. PRIMORDIAL OF- " A black tendril wrapped around her mouth silencing her. "YOU ARE NOTHING." Perseus roared as the portal closed. The red aura faded and his eyes fluttered shut. He suddenly fell from midair. Poseidon and I rushed to catch him, but as was closest I managed to catch him.

The other Olympians and Heroes gathered around us. We stared at him, curled in a fetal position clutching what was left of Annabeth. His face contorted in agony despite being unconscious. The heroes started crying, seeing their fallen friend. Athena was barely in control of her tears. "We have, much to discuss." I heard my injured father call out from behind us, before we flashed to Olympus


	2. Chapter 2: Aftermath

(Artemis)

The atmosphere in the throne room was tense and somber. No one had said a word since we arrived. Apollo had taken Perseus to his temple for healing, explaining the hero was holding on by a hair's breadth. As I looked around at the other gods, I could tell that no one was happy with... whatever just happened. Father was in deep thought, tapping the armrest of his throne. Probably debating how to handle the situation. Athena had regained her composure but her face was vacant and was staring at the floor near her feet. Every so often I could hear a sniffle. I wished I could have consoled her, but truth be told I was in a stunned state. Even Poseidon looked as if he was in shock as he simply waited with crossed arms. He had almost gotten into a fight with me for simply holding his son, demanding me to return Perseus. Of course I would have had it not been for his need for medical attention. Emotions were running high to say the least.

As we waited for Apollo to return, my Father broke the silence. "Today, we have stood against Gaia and have come out victorious." "Sure don't feel like one" my half brother chimed in, stretching his apparently stiff shoulder. Zeus glared at him, causing the war god to retreat into his throne. "The victory may not have been how we expected, it is still a victory." He proclaimed, before looking at Athena, "A pricey one, yes. But a victory nonetheless." Athena was now struggling to maintain her composure as she returned my father's gaze. "My daughter knew the risk" her voice wavered. "She died bravely protecting Olympus" he comforted her. Suddenly Athena glared angrily at Poseidon, "No. She died saving that sea urchin's spawn." she spat at Poseidon. "You dare blame my son! Even after what he did!" He bellowed back, pointing his trident at her. "SILENCE!" Zeus commanded, blasting lightning between them. The two fell silent, but continued glaring at each other.

"What was it." I asked. The other gods all turned to look at me. "It clearly wasn't a power of Poseidon. So what or who's was it? If I didn't know better I would have thought it was Hades' doing." I looked at the god of the underworld, who shook his head. "That was the void. Not the underworld. And Percy already told us who" I looked at my uncle who returned my gaze with a solemn face. I thought back to what Perseus had said. "..by the will of Chaos…" I muttered to myself. Chaos,The origin of creation… Had he returned? I did not know much about him, only that he created the primordials and everything we know of, and that he should be faded. "So that was Lord Chaos power, not Perseus?" I asked. "No." Athena spoke up, "Not exactly."

"What are you talking about. I find it hard to believe my son has that power." Poseidon snapped back. Athena glared at him, "Will of Chaos, not Lord Chaos himself. It was someone carrying out his will through the boy." she continued. "So it's some other Primordial possessing my son?" Poseidon questioned in a dismissive tone. "Stop it brother." Zeus barked at Poseidon. Athena scowled at the Sea God, "As unlikely it may be, it is possible. If I had to guess I would say it was Lady Nyx as most of the powers were seemingly darkne-" "But Percy spoke in a male voice. And last I checked Lady Nyx was in fact a Lady" Poseidon shot back. Athena snapped and shot to her feet, "You interrupt me one more time and I will tear you and that boy apart!" Poseidon, furious, got to his feet as well, "You dare to-" "STOP IT!" a voice yelled out. To my surprise it was Aphrodite who had spoken up.

"ARE YOU TWO STUPID?! DID WE ALL NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO PERCY WHEN ANNABETH DIED!" She was in tears and shaking in anger. "He lost his mind and STILL wouldn't let go of her no matter what. He loved her to death!" She raged at the two gods. "And she loved him till hers, even on that battlefield I could sense their emotions! AND YOU TWO FIGHTING OVER THIS SEEMS TO BE A HUGE DISRESPECT TO BOTH OF THEM! ESPECIALLY ANNABETH!" she yelled even louder, staring daggers at both of them. The room shook from her outburst and I found myself gripping my throne armrests tightly. Her hair was ruffled and out of place with her pink glow flickering violently. Aphrodite in her current state was actually intimidating. I often forget that despite her usual demeanor, she is one of the oldest Olympians… and one of the most powerful. The two offending gods sat back down, their anger replaced by remorse. Aphrodite was now realigning her hair with a pocket mirror, but she was still fuming as her breathing was ragged.

I was now feeling extremely guilty. I had assumed the worst of Perseus and worst of all, had sworn an oath to make his life hell. My chest tightened. It would not be right for me to carry out that oath, but what kind of goddess would I be if I can just break an oath easily? I refuse to be like my father and uncles who can break their oaths repeatedly. I had my pride to maintain. Just like my oath of maidenhood, I will keep this oath. But, he wasn't deserving of this. I was conflicted. 'Wait. What if he dies?' I thought to myself. He was pretty badly injured. And like my brother said, he was hanging on by a hair's breadth. I felt a pickle of pain in my heart. But if he dies then I don't have to carry out my oath and he will- "He is safe!" Apollo exclaimed upon flashing in. A wave of relief washed over me- Wait, that's not good. I cursed myself.

"But that's only physically though. He is still in my temple, Dione might need to take a look at him." he explained as he sat down on his throne, sighing. "I wish you wouldn't use that ridiculous nickname, Poly, and yes I suppose I could take a look at Perry." Dionysus rolled his eyes. My jaw momentarily clenched. Oddly enough, I felt annoyed at his disregard for Perseus' wellbeing. That damn lazy wine god. I noticed Poseidon glaring at him silently. Father nodded, "Seeing as Perseus life is not at risk, let us look towards the spoils of victory rather than the losses." He waved his hand and the doors opened, allowing the Heroes to enter.

They were visibly tired, with some sadness, yet had looks of relief. I could not blame them. I honestly did not expect to survive the ordeal. My father suddenly flashed and changed into his Roman aspect. "Jason Grace!" he called out. I watched as the boy stepped forward without hesitation. "Son, you have stood at the defense of Olympus at great personal peril. For your bravery I will grant you a duplicate of my master bolt, and minor godhood." The boy's eyes lit up and he bowed deeply "Thank you Father!" Interesting. No hesitating. I spotted Aphrodite's daughter gasp and face go pale. Perseus was more… hesitant, considerate even. I felt a smile creeping onto my face but I forced it back. My thoughts wandered to him.

I was honestly hoping he would recover. Oath aside, Perseus was by far the most respectable hero I've ever seen. Even more so than my late Lieutenant Zoe Ni- no no, she was still better than him. He is still male after all. But regardless, I really did not want to make his life hell. He was such a genuinely kind person, he didn't ask for anything for rescuing me. Most hero's would expect some sort of reward. Dammit, what should I do. If he was mentally stable, I would have to torment him. But if he wasn't... Perhaps I could get away with waiting till he recovered. Maybe he would die before that. I suddenly felt guilty for even considering that. But I had no alternative. I couldn't break my oath. His best hope, is to die. No, I don't want that of him. Why was my heart writhing so much... I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Yo Arty, you comin with us or what?" an annoying voice interrupted me. I turned to see it was my twin brother. I lashed out in annoyance, "Go where?! We still have the other.." The throne room was vacant. "Uhh, did you zone out or something?" my brother stifled a laugh. I felt my ears heat up. "Just tell me what happened." I snarled through gritted teeth. "Yeesh alright," he surrendered, raising his hands," basically everyone got minor godhood and Annabeth gets Isle of the blessed. Uncle Hades went off to see it through personally. Percy is the only one we're holding out on, we are going to visit him now to do so." I nodded and we flashed there.

As I arrived, I saw the gods were standing around a bed, but giving a wide berth. I made my way to an opening amongst them. I was not ready for what I saw. Curled up in a fetal position, the great hero of Olympus was clutching a pillow, just like how he was holding Annabeth, and whispering to it, somehow having a conversation with it. I felt a chill crawl up my spine when I caught a glimpse of his eyes. His usual bright green eyes were now dilated, bloodshot and dull. Poseidon was trying to talk to him, but Perseus didn't seem to notice his father, even when being pulled in for a hug. His father's tears wet his clothes, but Perseus did not seem to feel them. This was not the scene of victory. I had to bite my lip in order to stave of tears.

Dionysus stepped through and sat next to Poseidon. "Percy will be ok. Let me heal him." he told Poseidon in a tone that was not his usual mocking or indifference. I was taken aback. It was.. gentle, genuine care, something that I never thought possible of the wine god. Athena came forward and placed a hand on the crying father, gently pulling him. Slowly, he gave Perseus to Dionysus who took him into his arms and place his hand on the hero's forehead. A dim glow appeared upon contact, indicating the healing was taking place. Poseidon turned away, unable to look and Athena pulled him into a hug. No one in the room even glanced at them.

"Annabeth…" a sorrowful cry soon escaped the hero. That sound...My heart clenched in agony. Dionysus gently lowered him onto the bed. His eyes had returned to normal dilation, and some light had returned to them. But nowhere close to his original mirthful glimmer. He had relaxed his embrace of the pillow, but was now crying softly into it. Poseidon moved to hug his weeping child, comforting him as best he could. "I'm so sorry son, I'm so sorry." he repeated while stroking the boys head. My chest was tighter than ever, I could barely breathe. Despite my efforts, a couple tears escape my eyes. I had to resist the urge to run forward and comfort him as well. Gods… how was I supposed to torment him after seeing him in this state.

The sea god released his son from the embrace as the sobbing subsided. Father cleared his throat and stepped forward, "Perseus Jackson." The hero lifted his head, acknowledging his name. His face was awash with tear marks, his eyes were a mix of green and red. He nodded almost imperceptibly, attempting to respond. "Your fellow heroes have been rewarded for their service, and so will you. But before which, you must tell us what happened." "Father, I don't think he is ready to recount his ordeal", Athena cautioned. "He has just-" "I.. I can't really remember much" a hoarse voice answered. Perseus was staring at the floor, frowning.

"I just remember the explosion, finding out I was deaf, and then…" he started shaking. "Son, stop. You don't need to answer now" Poseidon said, trying to calm his son down but his son continued. "I found her, she was trying to tell me something but.. my ears.." My eyes widened. Oh gods… no wonder he was in this state. I could feel everyone in the room tense. Aphrodite had gasped and was now covering her mouth. "I started crying out but... that's it.. That's all I remember." his voice breaking as he finished. "After?" my father probed. He shook his head silently. Poseidon looked at my father grimly.

A mental discussion seemed to be taking place between them, before my father signalled Poseidon to pause and he continued talking. "For your endless self sacrifice and protection of Olympus, the council has decided to grant you -" "Let me join Annabeth." Perseus interrupted. "NO." Me and Poseidon yelled, surprising everyone and myself. I immediately covered my mouth. Some raised their eyebrows at me as I tried my best to hide a blush developing. Where the Tartarus did that come from!? Poseidon ignored me and looked his son in the eyes, "You will not ask for that." Zeus shook his head, "It would not be right to end your life as a reward." "I want to be with Annabeth." the hero demanded. His voice was firm as he stared defiantly at my father with tears forming in his eyes. Athena walked towards Perseus and out of nowhere, slapped him hard.

"WHAT DI-" Poseidon tried to rage, only to be pushed back down by Athena. "My daughter did not give her life protecting you for you to throw it away!" she yelled at him. Perseus refused to meet her gaze as he stared at his feet. "She would not want that and if you did love her you would know that!" For the better part of a minute not one said or did anything. Bending down, she gently held his face to make him look at her before continuing, "I'm sorry I never approved your relationship with her, but now she is gone now and I wished I had accepted it more. You made her happy Percy." Perseus started crying again and Athena hugged him, another thing I never expected to happen. This hero has made almost every god here defy their usual behaviour. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. "Live your life well to honor her memory." Athena concluded, as she pulled away. As she did, he raised his head. I immediately noticed light had returned to his eyes. He nodded silently. Father cleared his throat once again.

"The council had originally seen hit to grant you Major Godhood and a seat in the council, but as you have made your wished clear as being unwilling to accept immortality, we will instead offer to fulfill two requests of your making." Zeus told Perseus, "However, we will not grant it if Apollo and Dionysus deem it as harmful." The hero frowned as he processed what had been said "So I can't ask to see Annabeth even?" he asked. Dionysus shook his head "Not now. Not while you grieve." The hero deflated. He looked at his father, then Athena, and oddly enough, Me. I felt my hair stand when we made eye contact. Hades if I know why. The hero closed his eyes and sighed, before looking at Father once more. "I would like to dedicate my life to helping anyone or anything who needs help or protection. Regardless of which domain, god, or goddess they belong to, or any ancient laws which may interfere, I wish to help wherever help is needed." The gods all remained silent. This was getting ridiculous. Is he stupid or that blindingly selfless?! Was he taking what Athena told him too far? I remembered my oath to torment him. Would this be how I do so? I looked at Dionysus and Apollo expecting them to deny the request. They nodded in approval instead! What insanity is this!

Before I could say anything, father responded. "Very well. You will be made a Guardian of sorts, during your endeavours you will be given temporary godhood. It will fade after you complete your call for aid. To avoid the ancient laws your domain during the godhood will be Protection, Assistance, and… Saviourship." Zeus proclaimed, saying the last domain as if he were unsure the domain existed. A murmur traveled amongst the gods. They certainly were unorthodox domains. "What of your second request?" father asked. Perseus shrugged, "Kinda broke my sword. Could use another one, seeing as I might need it to do my duty." "I got ya lad." Hephaestus chimed in grinning, "Been thinkin bout tryin somethin new" "Nothing too fancy please!" Perseus pleaded. "Don't ya worry. Trust me, you're gonna love it" Hephaestus chuckled with a glimmer in his eye. Perseus smiled for the first time. He slowly got off the bed with the help of his father.

There was a flash of light and the three fates appeared in the room. "All hail Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Hero of Olympus, Bane of Gaia, and Guardian of all who call for aid!" they proclaimed. There was a loud boom and a white aura enveloped Perseus as he ascended to his god form. My heart jumped at the sudden change. He was now emanating power and warmth and I immediately felt safe in his presence. My body involuntarily relaxed as all my worries were being melted away and everything was going to be fine. It slowly died down as he returned to being a demigod. He looked around shyly and scratched the back of his head. "So… where do I start?"


	3. Chapter 3: Saviourship

Chapter 3:

(Artemis)

Laying around in bed was not a natural thing for me. I was feeling very sluggish and weak ever since my bow was shattered. My powers were severely diminished and my hunters were barely able to hold off monster attacks with our reduced numbers And to make matters worse, those damn fates had to remind me of my oath.

" _Remember, tormenting can be open to interpretation." the fates cackled while handing me a glass potion bottle. "What's important is the anguish"_

I shook my head to get rid of their lingering laugh. Sighing, I got up and stared at the glass bottle on the table. It glistened purple and red in the lamp light. 'The fates are cruel' I muttered to myself. Then again, who was I to call them cruel. I don't know exactly what it does but they told me that if I drank this I would be able to torment him in a way that wouldn't physically hurt him. Knowing the fates sense of humor, it would definitely be painful emotionally. But he is strong, he can overcome whatever happens. Right? I uncapped the bottle as I recalled the plan. Step 1. Drink bottle. Step 2. Invoke Percy to protect the hunt while I recover. Step 3. Be around him as often as possible as my presence will cause him anguish without actually harming him. Hades if I know why, but the fates assured me that this would relieve the oath. "I am truly sorry for this Perseus". I muttered to myself and I downed the potion.

(Percy)

I am. Without a doubt. The BIGGEST idiot. IN THE WORLD. Talk about impulsive decision making. "Stupid, stupid, Stupid!" I swore to myself as I cleaved the last of the hellhounds in half. As I turned around, the satyr and a young Demigod got up.

"Thank you Lord Perseus" the satyr bowed. I didn't even get the chance to breathe, much less respond, before I was invoked elsewhere. BEING INVOKED SUCKS. It's like teleporting but instead of calmly disappearing and reappearing, you get YANKED out of existence and HURLED to the next location. This whole "Call for aid" thing needs to have operating hours or at least be more spread out. I've been invoked nonstop for a whole month! If I weren't a god while doing it, I would die from lack of sleep. As I reappeared, I instinctively grabbed an incoming spear mid thrust. Good thing about my Saviourship domain, I don't need to understand or even be aware of anything to stop a threat to the one who called for aid. Body just does it.

"Who dares interfere with my execution!" a whiney voice squeaked. I turned and saw it was a small built but pudgy man, wearing a tricorn hat.

As I took in the situation, I groaned as I realized I was on another pirate ship. The large sails and masts reminded me of Queen Anne's Revenge, from when I had stolen it from Blackbeard. Behind me were three, very much shaken, half blood campers. A boy and two girls, probably on a quest. I immediately knew I was in the sea of monsters. You would be surprised how many pirates are here nowadays, then again we did accidentally release Blackbeard when Annabeth...

"GET HIM" the whiney pirate yelled, snapping me out of my momentary daze. The pirates drew their swords and pistols and opened fire. I slammed my shield into the floor, conjuring a bubble of protection around me and the tied up trio. The bullets pinged against the bubble harmlessly. I exited the bubble and brandished my sword, and without a word I charged into the fray. Normally that would have been a stupid decision, and I would die, but I was in a state of godhood. And my new weapon 'Undertow' was not to be laughed at.

-Flashback-

"I fashioned it in the same design as ya last blade." Hephaestus explained as I inspected my new weapon. It did have the same shape and feel as Riptide. But it was white with gold edges and detailing. It felt almost… regal. "I've also added a few new.. Features" the god continued, a sly grin breaking out on his face.

"Uhh what do you mean?' I asked, almost afraid to find out.

"Try thinkin bout throwin it lad" Hephaestus hinted as he flicked a lever. To our right, the wall of his forge slid into the ground to reveal a shooting range. In the distance, a few metal dummy targets appeared.

"Hephaestus, those are too far away for me to-"

"Try it" he assured me

I gulped and thought about throwing my sword, and almost dropped it. Just as I raised my hand to throw it, it glowed and morphed into a Javelin. I took aim and threw the weapon. It shot out of my hand faster than I expected and impaled itself directly in the center mass of the target I was aiming at. I suddenly felt something appear in my hand and looked down. It was another Javelin.

"Woah… That's cool.." I muttered in awe. "Aye laddie, that's not the best part." The god snickered. I turned to look at him, "What i-" An explosion erupted behind me, causing me to jump. I whirled around and saw the smoking remains of the three dummies.

"HEPHAESTUS! THAT'S TOO MUCH!" I yelled at him. This wasn't a sword, it was a bomb! He simply waved his hands to dismiss my complain "Don't worry, ya can decide how big or small ya want the explosion tah be." He smiled maniacally with fires dancing in his eyes, and I knew that there was no room for discussion.

"I've also fashioned ya a shield with the help of ya brother." He explained as he tossed me a familiar shield. 4 feet of polished bronze, leather coating on the inside. I felt nostalgic as I recalled how its predecessor had saved me numerous times, and the engravings it had. But this time there was no engravings. "Ya brother insisted on designing it. He said that it would record ya new adventures. I made it able tah grow or shrink. Just think what ya want and it'll do it"

"Thank you Hephaestus." I bowed deeply. He huffed in response. "Least I can do for ya." he muttered.

-Flashback end-

In a flurry on white and arcs of golden light, the pirates around me were decimated. The ones further away started to charge forward, seemingly unfazed by their comrades demise. I would call them brave if they didn't look so stupid. I threw a couple of javelins and shield charged the closest one. I pivoted and crouched behind my enlarged shield as I detonated the javelins, vapourising the other pirates around me. As I stood up, I noticed only the whinny pirate captain was left. I almost broke out laughing as he stumbled over while yelping in fear. He reminded me of a fat Chihuahua. I sighed as I approached him, not really enjoying what was about to happen. The distinct stain in his pants was no help either.

"WAIT WAIT DON'T KILL ME!" The pirate pleaded, "I-I can give you gold! ALL my gold!" I stepped forward ignoring him. Typical pirate bartering. Honestly, it's like they think that I'm fighting them for their gold. "WAIT WAIT! HOW BOUT GIRLS!" I froze. "I-I CAN GIVE YOU ANY NUMBER OF GIRLS YOU WANT! THEY-" I yanked him by his throat.

"Where." I snarled, pushing my blade into a particularly sensitive point.

"Th-the shipment- c-cargo bay." he gurgled out despite me choking him. I felt a red mist descend on me as he called them a shipment. His eyes were bulging and turning very red as I tightened my grip.

"LORD PERSEUS DON'T" a high pitched voice called out. I turned and saw it was the trio. They had gotten free and were now rearmed with the fallen pirates weapons. I blinked to clear my head and dropped the sack of meat, leaving him retching and gasping. One of the girls came forward. "We- we need him alive to lead us to where they have imprisoned the other captives." she explained in as calm a voice as she could muster. "They deliver them to a secret hideout a-and we need to find it." This girl was smart. Her grey eyes were a testament to her lineage. I noticed that the other two were trembling, and even this girl was a bit shaken up. They were probably affected by their near death experience. I willed my aura to grow and I could see them relaxing a bit. Good. I nodded and stepped away from the heaving pirate, allowing them to take him as prisoner. "Thank you Lord Perseus." the girl bowed. "No problem wise gi-" I stopped myself halfway. Before I could register what I just did, I was YANKED OUT OF EXISTENCE YET AGAIN! GOD DAMN INVOCATIONS!

This time I reappeared in a basement. It was dingy and smelled like shit. Confused, I looked around to find for the one who invoked me. Suddenly I heard muffled whimpering and grunting from behind one of the doors. "Wow you're a lot tighter when you're awake." a voice snickered between grunts. My heart sped up as my mind jumped to conclusions. I broke open the door and was greeted with a "WHAT THE FUCK?!". As the dust settled, I saw it was a fat bald man on the floor, unfortunately without pants. Chained to a wall was a young boy and girl. The girl was unconscious and up against the wall with her hands chained up. But the boy had his rear up in the air, facing the man, and was sobbing through a gag. The man's erection filled the gaps and I almost threw up.

"WHO THE FU-" I drove my blade into his throat and kicked him aside. The guttural chokes as he died filled the air. The boy was yelling and straining to turn around and see what was going on. Quickly, I freed the boy who immediately ran to the girl and spread his arms while glaring at me "Don't touch my sister!" he yelled through sobs. He was shaking so badly and had blood running down his legs. By the gods, this kid had one hell of a strong will. I lowered myself and crouched to be shorter than him.

"I won't, I won't." I tried to comfort him, making my voice as soft and gentle as I could. I showed him my empty hands and knelt in front of him. I felt a sharp pain and saw that there was broken glass everywhere on the floor. I saw the boy had numerous cuts on his hands, knees and face. I waved my hand and the small cuts healed near instantaneously. The boy yelped as he felt his body heal and was startled to say the least. "I am only here to save you, I won't hurt you." I assured him. His eyes were wide with fear but held the flame of defiance. I willed a small amount of my aura to appear, not wanting to frighten him. The fear softened, a bit of curiosity was now there, but his defiance held strong.

"Wh- who are you." He asked. I smiled as warmly as I could, before answering him.

"I am just someone who likes helping people. And hurting bad guys." I summoned a large white fluffy towel to offer him. The boy relaxed a bit, taking the towel, but still stood between me and his sister. "Can I go and free your sister?" I asked gently. He hesitated a bit before moving.

"D-don't do anything or I will bite you!" He warned. I nodded in feigned fear. I went over and broke the chains, catching her before she fell. The boy almost lunged at me, but stopped as he saw I hadn't hurt her. I carried her to a, relatively, clean spot on the floor and summoned another towel to wrap her in before gently lowering her. The boy hugged his sister, who was still unconscious, supporting her from lying on the floor.

"What is your name?" I asked the boy.

"Heiro." the boy answered. I couldn't help but laugh. Heiro was definitely the right name for this kid. "Why are you laughing! What's your name huh! Stupid head?" he countered angrily.

"No, but most of my friends call me something like that. My name is Percy." I smiled.

"Percy's a stupid name" the boy grumbled. I liked this kid.

"Yeah, so what's your sister's name?" I asked. He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"Diana."

I raised my eyebrow. Huh, talk about coincidences. "By any chance do you know who your parents are?" I asked. The boy slumped abit.

"Our dad told us our mom had to leave when we were very little. He died last week, and our uncle took us in." he spat out, while pointing and the lifeless corpse. I made a mental note to follow up with Hades on making his punishment extra special.

"Did your dad say anything else about your mother?" suddenly the boy glared at me.

"Why do you care? Why does it matter?!" he yelled, fire returning to his eyes. I emmited my aura a bit more to calm.

"I'm sorry kid, I was just trying to figure out a safe place to take you." I calmly explained. The boy squinted at me

"What do you mean.."

"Heiro, listen to me. I know this is hard to believe but your mother sent me. I don't know who exactly she is but I promise you, she is the one who called for me to help you. I will explain everything but I want to make sure you and your sister are safe first. Trust me" I explained, letting my aura warm the room.

The boy's face changed from suspicion to confusion. Then all of a sudden he started bawling, his entire body shaking. "I don't care what happens to me, just save my sister!" he wailed as he cried. I pulled him and his sister into a hug.

"Don't worry, you both are going to be ok. I promise". The sobs died down and he went limp as he passed out from exhaustion. I gently picked both of them up and before I flashed away, I snapped my fingers and the sword in the corpse's throat exploded.

As I reappeared in camp half blood, I suddenly felt another invocation tugging at me. It seemed to be waiting for me to ensure the kids safety before taking me away. Must not be a life threatening situation but a urgent one nonetheless. I quickly rushed to the Big House to pass the kids to the healers and brief Chiron on what happened.

"I will ensure their safety. Once again u have saved lives Lord Perseus."

I rolled my eyes "Really Chiron? You too?" The centaur smiled cheekily and let out a mirthful chuckle.

"What are you talking about Lord Perseus?"I sighed, but couldn't help but smile. "They will search for u once they have awoken, so please do drop by to talk to them. And your friends." Chiron placed his hand on my shoulder. "They worry about you." I nodded.

"I know...I will drop by and visit them when I have a chance. These invocations come one after another." I laughed half heartedly. Chiron took his hand off my shoulder "That's another thing. You must find a way to get help with your work. Even with your gifts, you need rest and time to think about all that has happened. Try finding for some helpers"

"I will Chiron. And thank you for everything" I hugged my old teacher, who hugged me back.

I let the invocation take me. I found myself just outside a camp. I instantly recognized the silver details on the camp. "The hunt?" I said out loud.

"Yes Perseus." a voice replied from behind me, almost making me jump. The person was hooded in silver and gave of a godly aura, but felt oddly familiar. Resisting the instinct to draw my blade I asked. "Who are you?"

"Which god is known to be related to the Hunt, Perseus." the figure sighed, shaking its head at my stupid question.

"Oh Lady Artemis." I bowed quickly. "Why have u invoked me and why are u hooded?"

"Perseus, the hunt is in a dire state as many of my hunters fell during the war" she answered with pain in her voice. "With my divine symbol shattered, my powers have been badly affected and I can no longer protect my Hunters." I nodded, understanding the situation.

"So you want me to act as your muscle. I don't mind but what about the others who need my help?" I asked her.

"I have informed father of my situation, and he has agreed to grant you the ability to have multiple presences during invocations." She explained. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least my burden can be reduced somewhat. Not sure how it works but hey, I'm still here and I can have an actual conversation without being yanked away. I'll take it. I can now think about things and visit my friends. Chiron will be happy, not to mention my friends. I smiled gleefully at the idea of a reunion. But that leaves the question, what's up with Artemis' hood?

"Sorry ma'am but you still didn't explain the hood?" She stiffened visibly. Oh damn, maybe I shouldn't have pushed. She must have some kind of scarring damage during a hunt.

"As you know my powers have been reduced. But with my bow being shattered, a sort of… backlash happened to me." Oh no. I shouldn't have asked.

"I am so sorry for asking, I didn-" Artemis held out her hand, stopping me.

"Perseus, its ok. But you need to promise me on the river Styx that you will remain with me while I recover." I felt a cold shiver roll up my spine. Something was off. Waaay off.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"It will be obvious. But I need your oath."

I took a deep breath to calm myself before answering "I swear on the river Styx to stay by Artemis side and defend her and the hunters till she is recovered." Thunder rumbled above us as I finished. Artemis nodded.

"Perseus, do not panic. I need you to know that I did not intend this and I am sorry." She said as she lowered her hood, revealing herself.

I felt my heart stop. The world was still and my brain could only think of one thing, and it escaped my lips

"Annabeth?"


	4. Chapter 4: Contact

Chapter 4:

(Percy)

I couldn't breathe. It felt like my chest was being crushed by Gaia herself. My head started spinning and the world seemed too as well.

"Perseus! Perseus if you can hear me, please calm down" Anna- I mean, Artemis called out. Her voice sounded so far away.

"H- how- wh- I - you…" I stuttered, kneeling over as my breathing sped up. Annabeth rushed over to help me up. As soon as she touched me I felt as if I was struck by lighting and my heart threatened to explode.

"NO! Don't To… don't… t-touch m..me.." I pushed Annabeth away, my vision tunneling. Annabeth? Artemis? I felt bile crawling up my throat and my face was feeling numb. My eyes started to close, but then a hard slap to the back of my head, rocked me to my senses.

"PERSEUS JACKSON. YOU WILL NOT FAINT FROM THIS." An- Artemis yelled at me as she grabbed my head and forced me to look at her. Her eyes were watering. "Listen to my voice. Take slow deep breaths" I forced myself to take deep breaths as I obeyed her soothing yet firm voice… it was simply hypnotic. The world slowed down and stopped spinned. My vision focused on her eyes… those beautiful grey eyes that haunted my dreams. The dreams of the happy memories with Annabeth… The ring I promised her that now hung around my neck… and the words that I never got to hear as she died in my hands. The wounds in my mind felt like they would reopen. But I focused on my breathing and on… Artemis. 'This is Artemis. She needs my help. Get your shit together Percy. Annabeth would not want you to be like this.' I chided myslef, sending a shock to my system. I regained my composure. Artemis was now slowly letting go of my head as I stood back up.

"I'm okay." my throat was dry as I spoke. "I.. could you explain, this?" Artemis looked at me with unease and guilt.

"Perseus, I..." she tried to explain. "My bow… It broke during the fight."

"What fight?" I didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"The War Perseus!" She half yelled, "Having my symbol of power broken by Gaia led to a… complicated side effect. Annabeth's death was in close proximity to my bow's own 'death'. Now my symbol's regeneration is painfully slow, and so my strength is barely recovering." She finished her explanation, finishing with a gasp as for having rushed through it. I was struggling to understand her explanation, but still had some questions.

"I… I don't understand. Why does your bo-"

"Look." Artemis interrupted. "I can try to explain everything to you in excruciating detail. But that would take forever and even then I'm not sure you would get it."

"Well I am technically a god now, so I have forever." I couldn't help as a smile broke through. Artemis glared at me.

"I may look like her, but make no mistake. I am not your girlfriend. I will not put up with your annoying habits and banter." she hissed. I felt my heart ripping at her words and dampness streak down my cheeks. Artemis' scowl was replaced with remorse as she tried to comfort me "Percy, I didn't mean to hurt-"

"I'm fine." I growled, wiping my eyes in frustration and pushing her away. 'She is right, I needed to remember she's not Annabeth.' I gripped the ring on my necklace, tightly. "I'm fine... How long do you think it will take for your power to recover." Artemis still carried concern in her eyes.

"I don't know for sure, but at least… two years." she stared at me as I tried to process everything. I felt panic rising in me but I slammed it down, reminding myself of my job and Artemis needing my help. I nodded slowly.

"Okay, I will stay with your camp over the next two years." I shakily told her. She sighed in relief.

"Thank you Perseus. Come, we must introduce you to the Hunters." she gestured to the camp. "Thalia will be excited to see you again." I smiled at the thought of meeting my cousin. Only to have my heart ache at the sight of Artemis walking in front of me. I knew in my head that she wasn't Annabeth, but my heart just wasn't on the same page. I shook my head, not allowing the tears a chance to fall, as I stepped forward.

Trailing Artemis, I entered the camp and found myself feeling a sense of nostalgia. I remembered the first encounter with the Hunters. Their tents were still the same simple white structures, the standing torches were new though. I heard the splashing of water nearby. I was surprised to find a silver water fountain. A smile broke onto my face as I recognized the statue. With those sharp eyes and stern expression, how could I not recognize Zoe. The statue of her stood just as she did with her bow drawn. Water was spouting from the tip of her arrow.

"I believe you were supposed to be following me?" Artemis appeared behind me, causing me to jump a bit. She smiled as she saw the fountain. "Well I suppose I should not be surprised. I take it you still remember my late Lieutenant."

"How could I not?" I sighed sadly.

"Immortality can do crazy things to men." Her voice was chilly as she spoke. I turned to face her. Her stoic expression was just like how Annabeth would look like when we fought. She would sound and act cold or angry, but her eyes would tell her sorrow. And this was no exception.

I knelt down to dip my hand in the fountain water. "Have you heard of PTSD?" I asked her. She frowned, not really answering. I stirred my hand in the water, enjoying the feeling of being in it.

"I don't know either. Dionysus tried to explain to me but I still don't understand it fully." I stopped stirring as I watched my distorted reflection in the water. "But what I do know is...I won't forget. More precisely, I can't forget."

I could feel Artemis shifting her feet uncomfortably, so I pulled my hand out of the water and stood back up. "Ok that's enough of that. I have to ask though, why a fountain? Wasn't the stars enough?" Artemis looked a bit startled by the sudden change, but answered nonetheless.

"It was Thalia's suggestion. We didn't like how Zoe and Orion ended up with the same honor. Thalia suggested we make something in her honour."

"Yeah, but that could have been just a statue. Why a fountain?" As I inspected the statue,

Artemis stiffened a bit, before continuing. "Zoe requested it." she mumbled.

"What? How did you... " I stared at her as I made the connections. Annabeth always had the worst poker face when it came to her being guilty.

"What." She countered defensively, "You don't honestly think you're the only one who can make trips to the underworld right?" I broke out laughing. That was just like Annabeth, somehow justifying herself when she is caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Why are you laughing?!" Artemis scowled. I could tell she did not appreciate being laughed at. I sighed as I wiped away my tears. She glared at me, trying to look mad, but It's kinda hard to be afraid of her when she's blushing from embarrassment.

"It's alright, long story." I chuckled as I stopped laughing. "I believe I was supposed to meet the Hunters?"

She squinted before rolling her eyes and turning to storm off. I smiled as I chased after her.

(Artemis)

I hate this. I hate this. I HATE this. WHAT WERE THE FATES THINKING?! I barely have a fifth of my power now! My hunters could have been killed! And how DARE Percy mistake me and Annabeth! I know I look like her but… Its ME! Why can't he see that?!

"Annabeth, wait up!"

I spun around and glared, anger seeping from my pores. Percy came to a halt, stammering as he realized his mistake.

"I- I didn't mean-"

"Look here Perseus. I am NOT Annabeth, I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. I don't CARE who or what I look like, I will NOT be called ANYTHING else! YOU GET THAT IN YOUR HEAD BOY. OR ELSE THE LAST THING YOU SEE WILL THE TIP OF MY ARROW!!"

I suddenly felt a tear well up. 'Wh- what?! Why am I crying?!' I spun back around and discreetly wiped it away. Percy better not have seen that. I took a deep breath to calm myself before facing him again. As soon as I saw him, I immediately regretted my outburst.

Percy's eyes were dull… just like that night. He looked like he was looking at something a thousand miles away, even though he was staring right at me. A pang of pain exploded in my chest. 'Please don't look at me like that..' I just wanted to hug him and tell him I'm sorry and everything is alright… But.. I couldn't…

"I'm sorry Lady Artemis." His voice was hollow and weak, but cut me deeper than anything I had felt before.

"N- no-" my voice faltered. I cleared my throat. "It is ok Perseus. I understand your situation. I won't attack you but please do try not to repeat this mistake."

He simply nodded. I hate this. I hate this stupid vow. I hate the fates and their stupid potions. I hate how Percy is affecting me. I hate me and my damn pride.

"Percy?" A voice called out from behind me. Percy's face immediately lit back up. I fought back the wave of jealousy at whoever could make him smile like that.

"Thalia!" He exclaimed happily... as he rushed past me.

(Percy)

I immediately received a small blast of lightning to my gut, causing me to double over.

"Wh-"

"You better not be asking why I did that." Thalia cut in, electricity crackling in her palm.

I grimaced as I got up, then hugged her.

"I'm sorry I worried you, and I'm sorry I took this long to see you." The smell of ozone dissipated, as Thalia hugged back.

"God dammit Seaweed brain…" She lightly punched my rib as we broke the hug. "Don't you ever make us worry like that again!" All I could do was shrug and smile weakly. Thalia immediately broke out laughing, shaking her head.

"Ahem." Artemis cleared her throat. I turned my attention to her. I don't understand why, but Artemis looked a little… miffed. She was probably still mad about me calling her Annabeth. Honestly, can she blame me? "Now that you've met Thalia, I believe that she can introduce you to the rest of the Hunters." she said stiffly.

"What?" Both me and Thalia asked, taken aback. "My lady, don't you think that it would be better if you did the introductions?" Thalia asked with me just nodding my head.

"I have some important things to do, so I will need Thalia to take over the introductions." Artemis was definitely upset. She had the same face as Annabeth whenever she said "Nothing's wrong." Somehow Artemis was worse at covering up her anger.

"Lady Artemis, if you are still upset about my earlie-"

"I'm NOT upset!" Artemis snapped back. "I just… have important work. Now please. Follow Thalia, she will carry out the introductions."

"Yes ma'am." me and Thalia responded, not wanting to upset her further.

Artemis nodded. "I will be back by lunch." and quickly flashed away, leaving me with a pang of guilt in my gut. I know she wasn't Annabeth but… seeing her upset still hurts.

"Not bad Percy." Thalia chuckled.

"What?"

"In less than an hour of being here, you have already managed to upset Artemis."

"I really didn't mean to. It's just that she looks identical to Annabeth."

Thalia sighed audibly. "Yeah that caused quite a stir when we first found out. Took quite a bit of explaining on her part, but we got used to it. Speaking of which…"

She then became extremely serious.

"A lot of the girls are not thrilled about having a boy here, even you."

"Understandable." Quite a lot of them had full on been traumatized by guys, so I'm sure I would aggravate it. "I'll be on my best behaviour and not get in trouble with them."

"Yeah… see... they will look for trouble with you." She sighed. "Lady Artemis told us that you are immortal while you're doing your job. So the girls understood that as Lethal Force is Allowed."

I inhaled sharply. Wouldn't be looking forward to that.

"Any chance you could help st-" Thalia shook her head.

"Just be smart and avoid their arrows. And watch where u step. And check your bed. And tent. And clothes."

As I pondered my new task, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girls. It felt like a cry for help. Like they were trying to cope with grief but though violence. Maybe they needed this outlet.

"Its ok. Like she said, I'm immortal. I can take it. Maybe you guys could use with a punching bag."

A small sadistic smile appeared on Thalia's face.

"Well if you say so."

I didn't even hear the lightning strike. Just a moment of Ozone, then charred ground.

"THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR" I yelled, patting out the fires on my clothes.

Thalia apologized with another lightning bolt. This time I reacted by bringing up my shield.

"Pussy." She taunted, launching bolt after bolt.

"THIS IS NOT EVEN A PRANK!" I tried to reason with her.

"I dunno, it's pretty funny!" Suddenly i heard lightning crackle from above. I launched myself at Thalia, knocking her over. The lightning struck the ground where I was.

"Shit Thalia," I said. "You could take it a little easier." I quickly realized I was lying on top of her. Awkwardly I got off her, trying not to be aware of her body and her blushing face showed she was very much aware too.

"Sorry" I muttered, avoiding eye contact. Thalia shook her head, responding with a "It's fine."

A minute of awkward silence later, I cleared my throat. "Should we go introduce the others to their new punching bag?"

"I'll record what happens." she laughed as she broke into a smile and led the way.


End file.
